Interview with Wayne Oliver, March 17, 2022

Interview Summary

Wayne Oliver, born and raised in Upper Darby, graduated high school in 1971 and joined the Air Force the same year. He was apathetic towards Vietnam, but he had two older brothers who were already in the Air Force and a general desire to leave home, so joining the Air Force felt natural. The Air Force trained him to become a helicopter mechanic but in 1972 he volunteered to become a helicopter door gunner. He described how the training included multiple survival courses and a simulated POW camp, all meant to prepare him for the possibility of crashing and having to survive. Once he completed his training he shipped out to his new assignment in Thailand. He then goes on to discuss his 16-month tour in Thailand from 1973-74. This included his duties while in Thailand, which were mainly to bring troops and equipment in and out areas via helicopter. He also shared his experiences of traveling around Thailand and his time with the Thai people. Alongside this, he explained the dynamic on base and how the flying community differed from the rest of the military. While there he also participated in a UN support mission meant to develop the area of Chiang Mai. He explains how he saw the war as positive because he believed we were there for good reasons and that his time in the military made him more mature. However, he ends the interview lamenting that the war was ultimately for nothing.

Interview Keyword

air force brothers joined out of high school air force flight-mechanic door gunner survival training Thailand Thai people pro-war UN support mission late in war

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